Catching Up From a Week Away

I had my mail held at the post office last week since we spent some time on the North Shore of Lake Superior, primarily in Minnesota, but took a day trip into Wisconsin.

I didn't have a single ttm request delivered during the week, but that's because I have not sent many out.  I sent a handful out before I left so I may see some of those returned this week.

I did receive some purchases and mail-in signings returns though.

I received Grand Slam prints back from signings for a couple Twins.  The Rod Carew print looks nice.  I had it authenticated by Beckett on the back.

The Chuck Knoblauch print is quite strange.  His signature looks nothing like any I have in my collection or have seen.  His signature seems to get a little worse as the time goes on, and not worse because he's getting older and his handwriting is getting shaky.  Just worse in that it gets more abbreviated and less like the letters in his actual name.

This one, however, has a couple large spaces between some of the letters.  In the past, his signature has been one continuous string, without even a space between his first and last name.  I don't doubt that it is authentic and I'm guessing it's just another style he's using now.  I did not have an option for authentication for this signing.  I reached out to the promoter so see if all of his signatures looked like this from the signing, or if maybe mine was a fluke.  I have not yet heard back.

I added another card to my 1958 Topps set collection, which happens less and less frequently now that I only need about 80-85 cards to complete it. 

Mill Creek sold me this 1982 Topps Carl Yastrzemski slabbed by Beckett.  I paid much less for this than his signing fee, although I haven't seen a signing with him for quite a while.

Finally, I bought a 2004 Topps Heritage Johan Santana card on eBay.  This one would look nice slabbed, so I may submit it if I come across a cheap deal on authentication.  I have his 2000 Fleer Tradition rookie card in for authentication now and hope to get it back in the next month or so.

After being silent on my blog last week, I hope this week will be very busy.